Brody Malone completes improbable comeback, wins U.S. Gymnastics Championships
Fifteen months ago, U.S. gymnast Brody Malone suffered an injury on his right leg so severe it required multiple surgeries and months of rehab. For a time, questions swirled about his ability to make it back to competition in time for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
But Saturday (1 June) that felt like a distant memory inside Dickies Arena at the 2024 U.S. Gymnastics Championships in Ft. Worth, Texas, as he soared to a third U.S. all-around crown.
Malone totaled 172.300 across the two days of competition, ahead of Fred Richard (170.250). Khoi Young (169.550) was third.
"It just feels amazing to be able to - with everything I've gone through - be able to come back and make a comeback like I have and be competitive enough to be on the top again," Malone said afterward.
The 24-year-old, who previously won the U.S. crown in 2021 and 2022, entered the competition feeling confident but not focused on a winning result.
“You got to have confidence in yourself that you can do it,” Malone told reporters after the first night of competition. “But… I came in with the mindset of, I just need to do my gymnastics and let the scores fall where they do. I’m not coming in thinking, ‘Oh gosh, I gotta win this'.”
But from his opening routine Thursday (30 May), it was clear he would be a contender. Malone came into the final day of competition with a comfortable lead of more than a point-and-a-half.
Saturday, he began competition with solid numbers on the still rings (14.850), vault (14.400) and parallel bars (14.900). Malone's spectacular routine on the horizontal bar in the fourth rotation scored 14.600.
His final two scores were 13.600, floor exercise, and 14.000, pommel horse.
"Going through what I've gone through, I've definitely learned to be grateful for every opportunity I have to compete," Malone said. "And so with that, I'm just letting loose a little bit more, having a little more fun... I enjoyed it."
Young climbs to third
Young had a much improved competition Saturday, after having to save his still rings dismount and falling off the pommel horse night one. He moved from fifth to third in the overall standings while posting the second best all-around total to Malone in the finals.
Despite Young’s massive success – two individual silver medals – at last year’s World Championships, he said it does not feel much different coming into this season with more eyes and more expectations.
“I still hesitate to say that it feels different,” said Young, the 2024 NCAA all-around winner. “I definitely enjoy just knowing that the potential to compete at the highest level with the guys is there. Whereas years ago, I hadn’t been my best in the all-around or even on [pommel] horse or vault.
“So just knowing I’ve put in the numbers now and I’ve got the experience internationally, the confidence is there,” he continued. “But other than that, it’s any other meet.”
The name of the game for Young is consistency, as competition for the U.S. Olympic team heads to Minneapolis and the Olympic trials.
“Definitely [hit] 12 for 12,” he said. “I’ve got to stay on, I’ve got to hit clean,” Young said of his competitive approach. “I don’t have the difficulty that some of the other guys have, but what I do have is the execution, so I definitely need to hit it clean, just do what I usually do and I think we’ll be all right.”